HSBC and SOS Children's Villages partnership
In November 2006, HSBC and SOS Children's Villages announced a global five year partnership as part of Future First, The HSBC Education Trust's new global initiative to reduce child poverty.
Future First
The partnership between SOS Children’s Villages UK and HSBC’s Future First programme will benefit thousands of orphaned, abandoned and destitute children in the 47 countries in which both organisations have a common presence. HSBC has pledged USD one million per year to SOS Children’s Villages UK for five years (2007 - 2011). These donations will be used to support SOS education, community development and family strengthening programmes.
Dame Mary Richardson, Chief Executive of the HSBC Global Education Trust, said of the partnership, “We think this is going to make a measurable difference in the lives of some of the most marginalised and impoverished members of society. HSBC believes financial institutions have a role to play in helping to integrate youth from disadvantaged backgrounds into the fabric of society, not only to improve the quality of their lives, but also so they can be fully active citizens who contribute to the economic prosperity of their local communities.”
A global partnership
In a number of countries, SOS Children’s Villages and HSBC have already been working together on a local level for a number of years. Countries where partnerships between the two organisations exist include: India, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Pakistan and USA.
At SOS Children’s Village Irbid in northern Jordan, for example, The HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation donated the construction costs for an SOS family house (named ‘HSBC House’) and continues to provide its annual running costs. HSBC has also provided the SOS Children’s Village with a PC and printer for its computer lab, and the children are regularly invited to HSBC events. HSBC employees have a very personal relationship with these children, which is beneficial for both groups. A similar scheme takes place between HSBC and SOS Children’s Village Ksarnaba in Lebanon.
SOS Children’s Villages UK and HSBC
The relationship between SOS Children’s Villages UK and HSBC began in early 2005, following the Asian tsunami disaster in December 2004. The HSBC Education Trust had a budget to help tsunami victims in the countries in which they worked, including Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia. The Trust researched such charities and discovered SOS Children’s Villages UK from their website. Following this research period, the Trust invited a number of charities to pitch for tsunami projects which needed support.
SOS Children’s Villages UK approached the Trust for the funding of a new Community Centre in Peraliya, southern Sri Lanka, a village that was washed away by the waves. The HSBC Education Trust is currently supporting the costs of this community centre, which will provide young children with a high-quality nursery education and their parents with skills training in order to obtain employment and support their families; financial independence of the family therefore lessening the risk of child abandonment.
The partnership between HSBC and SOS Children’s Villages UK developed further following the devastating earthquake that ripped through Kashmir on 8 October 2005. 73,000 people were killed, many children were orphaned, and 10,000 of the 11,500 schools in Pakistan-administered Kashmir were destroyed. SOS Children’s Villages, which was given legal guardianship of all children left temporarily unaccompanied by the earthquake by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, approached The HSBC Education Trust once more for support with reconstruction efforts. To ensure Kashmiri children are able to continue with their education, SOS Children’s Villages is constructing three schools - one primary and two single-sex secondary schools. Construction costs for the primary school have been generously provided by The HSBC Education Trust.
More info
For more information about the partnership between SOS Children's Villages and HSBC, please contact Jenny Townsend, Development Manager, jenny@soschildren.org